As a Minnesota resident, I agree with Gov. Dayton that underground copper-nickel mining near the jumping off point for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), 10 miles from Ely, MN, is too close to a much valued water and wilderness resource.

The BWCA has been enjoyed by generations of people in Minnesota and beyond. Preserving this unique water recreational area serves the Common Good.

While the several hundred jobs that Twin Metals’ mining offers is enticing in dire economic times, mining has historically resulted in unacceptable environmental degradation. Harvesting non-renewables for profit is the old-school thinking that has characterized previous centuries. Such short-sightedness regarding heretofore unspoiled recreational resources is a disservice to current and future generations.

I am concerned that Federal agencies, perennially squeezed by Congressional ideologues, will not have the necessary budget to provide essential regulatory oversight of the Twin Metals’ mining operations.

Inadequate regulatory oversight of mining operations poses an unacceptable risk to the BWCA, to Ely residents, and to other valued resources in the area.